What inspired you to go abroad?
Ever since I started college, I wanted to study abroad. I feel that a lot of students don’t take advantage of studying abroad and acquiring international experience. A lot of adults or recent graduates I talked to say their biggest regret from college was not studying abroad. I knew if I didn’t, it would be one of my biggest regrets as well.
Cliff diving in Cinque Terre, Italy
Why did you choose Forum-Nexus Study Abroad?
Originally, I was supposed to study abroad with a program through my university, IUPUI. I was going to be attending Heilbronn University in Germany. However, at the last minute Heilbronn had to cancel the program due to their partner universities backing out at such short notice. I used my resources and talked to my aunt who works in international studies and she found Forum-Nexus. I got in contact with Forum-Nexus right away and they worked with me every step of the way so that I’d be able to attend the program.
What was your favorite part about traveling around with Forum-Nexus?
The best part about Forum-Nexus is how we had the opportunity to travel to so many different countries and cities. It’s hard to choose my favorite, but out of the nine places that we visited, Amsterdam made top of the list. Amsterdam was very diverse and during my time spent there I got to visit historical sites such as Anne Frank House, as well popular tourist destinations like the Red Lights District.
What made your experience abroad unique?
I think Forum-Nexus itself is unique. Unlike other study abroad programs we got to visit so many countries and cities in such a short amount of time. Other study abroad programs are usually based in one country/city so with this program we had the opportunity to be exposed and immersed in multiple cultures.
Adam Lookout in Amsterdam, Netherlands
How did local staff support you throughout your program?
From the application process to the very end of the program, Forum-Nexus was there for me. The staff is amazing and by the end of the trip the staff felt like family.
What's one thing you wish you would have done differently?
I wish I would have taken advantage of my time more when we stayed in some places. Due to the long travel days I was sometimes so exhausted and didn’t so as much sightseeing as I should have.
Describe a typical day in the life of your program.
Everyday varied with Forum-Nexus. On class days we would usually have breakfast, attend class for three to four hours, and then the rest of the day we either had a cultural/professional visit, or we had free time to do sightseeing.
What did you enjoy doing in your free time?
In my free time I enjoyed sightseeing! We stayed in incredible places with SO much to see. Sightseeing never got old.
What was your accommodation like? What did you like best about it?
All of the hotels/resorts we stayed at were either four or five star so they were very nice. They were also all conveniently located next to public transportation or metro stations so if we wanted to do independent sightseeing we had the opportunity to do so hassle free.
Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy
What is one thing every participant should know before participating in your program?
Even though you do get to see nine cities in such a short amount of time this type of traveling can be very tiring. Even if you are tired it’s so worth it! Everything you see will change your life and the friends you make will be lifelong.
Now that you're home, how has your time abroad impacted your life?
As soon as I got home, I wanted to go back. I missed all the friends I made, as well as the staff. When I interact with people from the countries I visited, I feel as if I can relate more and they have an appreciation since I took the time to visit and tried to learn and interact with their cultures.
Would you recommend Forum-Nexus to others? Why?
Yes! I would 100% recommend this program to anyone who is looking to study abroad. It will be the summer that changes your life. No other program compares to Forum-Nexus. It was so great and I’m honestly considering doing another one of their programs in the future.
